Rangers seek answers from Scottish FA over non-award of penalty in League Cup final

Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart has spoken to the Scottish FA seeking an explanation as to why the team wasn’t awarded a penalty in the League Cup final match against Celtic on Sunday, STV News understands.

There was bags full of drama during a frantic encounter at Hampden Park which saw Celtic defeat Rangers in a penalty shootout to lift the League Cup following a 3-3 draw.

One of the main talking points occurred early in the first period of extra time, when Liam Scales grabbed a handful of Vaclav Cerny’s shirt and pulled him to the ground, receiving a yellow card for the foul.

A free-kick was awarded right on the edge of the box.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement believes the foul continued inside the box, and said VAR should have intervened and told referee John Beaton to award a penalty kick.

“I don’t know if you saw the images back but my phone is overloaded with the penalty situation with Cerny,” the manager said.

“I have had hundreds of messages about that. It’s also a decisive moment in the game.

“Of course [Beaton] cannot see that in the moment but he didn’t get the communication from the VAR to come to watch the screen.

“It was for me a really weird situation, that there’s no look in this kind of game.”

Former referee Bobby Madden posted on Instagram regarding the incident, saying he was “amazed” a spot kick wasn’t awarded.

“This is 100% a penalty kick,” he wrote. “It doesn’t matter when the holding started, when it ended or what direction the players are moving.”

“This is clear evidence of holding within the penalty area and I’m amazed this hadn’t been identified by VAR. Referee team had been excellent until that point. Difficult live, but that’s why VAR is there.”

It is the first act of former Manchester United chief Patrick Stewart as Rangers new CEO, having assumed the role officially on Monday.